Treasure Planet: Dark Knight Joker Style
by HawtPoTaytoTott
Summary: Jaqulin Strife, daughter of Cloud Strife, strikes out on an adventure to find the loot of a thousand worlds. Along the way, she meets a certain half demon and a young man, both of which will change her life for the better. But will they make it out alive?
1. Chapter 1: Soaring Spirit

**Hey, guys! Sorry, I decided to rewrite this one so I could change things up a bit. A lot has happened since I started this so I had to go in and change things so it didn't bother me. But hey, I'm still continuing it so it's alright! Let's go! =D

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Chapter 1: Soaring Spirit

"_On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with cargos of Yavin sura crystals felt safe and secure. Little did they suspect that they were pursued by…Sith. And the most feared of all these Sith was the notorious General Grievous."_

"Fire!"

"_Like a Geonosian overtaking its prey…"_

"Jaqulin Danee Strife!"

Little four-year-old Jaqulin gasped, threw her holographic story book down, and swung her legs casually. Her mother, Aerith, entered the room, a look of disapproval on her face.

"I thought you were asleep an hour ago!" Aerith scolded as she placed her hands on her hips. Jaqulin sat up and crawled to her pillow.

"Aw, Mom, I was just getting to the best part," the little girl whined. She picked up her book and hugged it. "Please?" she begged.

Aerith smirked with a sigh. "Oh, can those eyes get any bigger?" she asked, walking to her daughter. "Scootch over."

Jaqulin reopened her book and it started where it ended.

"…_like a Geonosian overtaking its prey, Grievous and his band of renegades swooped in out of nowhere."_

Jaqulin and Aerith watched Grievous scoop up the treasure and laugh huskily in victory. The story continued.

"_And then, gathering up their spoils…they vanished, without a trace."_

"Ooh!" Jaqulin and Aerith said simultaneously as they turned the page.

"_Grievous' secret trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy, stowed with riches beyond imagination—the loot of a thousand worlds…"_

"Treasure Planet," Jaqulin said with the narrator, grinning in excitement.

Aerith took out a handkerchief. "Okay, blow your nose," she said, bring the kerchief to Jaqulin's nose. Jaqulin blew as hard as she could, then back on her bed.

"How do you think General Grievous did it, Mom?" Jaqulin asked. She clambered onto the headboard of her bed and jumped as she said, "How'd she swoop out of nowhere and vanish without a trace?" Jaqulin hid mysteriously beneath her blanket.

"I have no idea," Aerith responded, eying her daughter. Finally, she snatched Jaqulin and began tickling her. "Come here, you, you li…" Aerith pulled up her daughter's green pajama shirt and blew raspberries on her tummy. "I'm gonna get… oh!"

Jaqulin giggled, kicking her legs frantically. The two laughed heartily with each other.

"Okay," Aerith said at last, tapping Jaqulin's nose, "it's time for this little spacer to go to sleep."

Jaqulin glanced up at her mom. "You think somebody will _ever_ find Treasure Planet?" she questioned.

"Sweetheart," Aerith began. She picked up one of Jaqulin's Jack Sparrow action figures and grimaced. "I think…it's more like…a legend."

"I know it's real."

Aerith smiled as she touched her nose to Jaqulin's. "You win," she murmured. "It's _real_."

"Nighty-night, Mom," Jaqulin yawned, snuggling underneath her covers.

"Nighty-night, sweetheart," Aerith replied, walking to the door. She paused in the doorway. "I love you."

"Love you, too."

The door closed and the room went pitch black. Jaqulin stirred in her bed, groping for her book. She opened it, continuing her story.

"_There are nights when the winds of the Etherium, so inviting in their promise of flight and freedom, made one's spirit soar!"_

**12 Years Later**

Jaqulin soared on her solar board, reaching the high heavens. She jerked the board upward and brought it to an unbelievable height. Taking her heel, Jaqulin pressed down on a button that retracted the solar sail. The 16-year-old closed her blue eyes, leaned back, and let herself fall. She performed many spins and flips as she did so. Right before she crashed to the ground, Jaqulin flipped herself around and hit the button again, releasing the sail.

"Yaaa-hoo!" Jaqulin screamed, as the board shot off like a bullet. She noticed an industrial site up ahead and smirked. Jaqulin flew into the industry and, unbeknownst to her, set off an alarm. The teenager saw a large rotating machine with holes lining the outside. Jaqulin didn't mind a little challenge.

Jaqulin pressed the button once more, folding the sail, and bent forward.

"Come on!" she yelled. The wind whipped her long, silky blonde hair as she surged forth, aiming for the hole. Jaqulin had to time it carefully; she'd be smashed otherwise. Jaqulin gave the engine a boost and she sped through the hole, which missed her by inches.

Laughing, Jaqulin popped the sail up and soared away.

"Whoo-hoo!" she shouted ecstatically. "I bet my old man couldn't do that."

Suddenly, Jaqulin heard sirens behind her and she glanced over her shoulder. Walker, from the Ghost Zone, had sent his guards.

"Oh great," Jaqulin mumbled.


	2. Chapter 2: What Future?

**Wow, one little change of the last name and I'm already feeling better about this! Here's the next chap. Oh yes...before I forget...the original story of "Treasure Planet" is entirely Disney's doing. I'm not that much of a genius!

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Chapter 2: What Future?

Meanwhile, life was buzzing at the Kingdom Hearts Inn.

"Mrs. Strife!" a plump lady with an octopus body called. Aerith gathered up her tray of food.

"Yes, Ursula," Aerith replied. "Refill on the kelp juice." The brunette woman walked over to table where a lion cub, a meerkat, and a warthog were sitting. "Okay, here's the crunchy grub bowl for Timon, the slimy grub bowl for Pumbaa, and the special cream-filled grub…for the future king." Aerith winked at the cub, who happened to be Simba.

"Awesome," Simba said, digging into his meal.

"Please enjoy!" Aerith strolled over to a large man in an orange jumpsuit. "I'm sorry, Jack," she apologized in an exasperated tone. "It's been a madhouse all morning!" She placed a piece of pie on the table.

"Ah, don't worry, Aerith! Why, I have all day!" Jack exclaimed. He narrowed his dark eyes and became mysterious. "You haven't seen any ghosts around, have you?"

Aerith chuckled. "No, Jack. Not today." She left to clean up the dishes.

"Ah, Aerith's homemade apple pie…my favorite!" Jack said, picking his fork. He was about to eat when he spotted a light-colored lion cub with blue staring up at him. "Uh…hello…little lion."

The cub was Simba's friend, Nala, and the pie on Jack's plate was looking pretty appetizing at the moment. Jack, however, shrugged his broad shoulders and proceeded to eat the pie, but Nala was getting on his nerves.

Jack's shoulders slumped. "Uh, do you mind?" he asked. "Are your parents around?"

No reply.

"What's the matter? Cat's got your…"

Just then, Nala pounced on Jack playfully and swiped the little bite of pie from the fork. The lion cub leaped off, sending a teasing grin Jack's way.

"Maybe next time, Mr. Fenton!" Nala called.

"Oh…was that Nala?" Jack asked himself while scratching his head. Aerith approached him, a tray in hand. She sighed admiringly.

"Lion cubs are so adorable at that age," Aerith smiled.

"Are you kidding? They're furballs of utter chaos and mass destruction that like to steal pie."

Aerith giggled slightly before finishing up her work.

"Hey, speaking of utter chaos, how's Jaqulin?" asked Jack.

"She's doing _much_ better," Aerith replied, lifting a stack of plates. "She's hit some rough spots here and there, but I believe she's finally turning the right corner."

Suddenly, the doors of Aerith's hotel burst open and revealed Walker's guards with Jaqulin in hand.

"Mrs. Strife?" one of the guards announced.

"Jaqulin!" gasped Aerith as she let the plates fall and shatter on the floor.

"Ooh…wrong turn," Jack mumbled.

Jaqulin brushed the other guards hand off her shoulder casually. "Okay. Thanks for the lift, boys," she said. She was about to walk to her mother when the first guard caught her by the arm.

"Not so fast," the guard growled.

"We apprehended your daughter operating a solar vehicle in a restricted area," the other guard explained.

"The moving violation section fifteen, paragraph…uh…"

"Six?" Jaqulin finished, rubbing her cheek in boredom.

"Thank you," the first guard said.

"Don't mention it."

"Jaqulin!" Aerith scolded in disapproval. Jaqulin lowered her head shamefully, hinting the disappointment from her mother.

"As you are aware, ma'am, this constitutes the violation of her probation," the second guard continued.

"Yes, yes. No, I understand," Aerith stammered. "Um, could we just…?"

Jack rose from his seat and cleared his throat. "Uh…pardon me," he interjected as he moved toward the guards. "Officers, if I could, um…what's the word?"

"Interject?" Jaqulin finished again.

"Why, yes! Yes, that's what I meant. If I could interject…I'm the noted ghost hunter, Jack Fenton! Maybe you've heard of me!"

The guards merely stared at him.

"No? Uh, I have a card…"

"Are you the girl's father?" the second guard inquired. Aerith and Jack started to stutter over each other.

"Oh, good heavens, no….eww," Aerith stated. "He's just an old friend of the family."

"Back off, sir," snapped the first guard.

"Thank you, Jack, I'll take it from here," Aerith whispered to Jack.

"Okay, Aerith…if you want me to," Jack responded. "Um…never let me do that again, would ya?" Aerith shook her head with a tired smile.

"Due to repeated violations of statute-C, we have impounded her vehicle," the first guard continued. "Any more slip-ups will result in a one-way ticket to Juvenile Hall."

"The kiddie hoosegow," the second guard added.

"The slammo."

"Thank you, officers," Aerith replied. "It won't happen again." When Jaqulin came to her, she stopped her daughter and looked her in the eye with hinted meaning.

"We see this type all the time, ma'am," the first guard explained.

"Wrong choices," said the second.

"Dead-enders."

"Losers."

Jaqulin glared up at the two guards with loathing. She didn't like being called a loser, especially by the government.

"You take care now!" the second guard exclaimed, lifting his helmet in farewell.

"Let's fly," the first guard suggested. With that, they turned their backs on mother and daughter and flew out the door. Aerith was stunned; she glanced at her customers, who went back to their conversations. She turned her attention back to Jaqulin.

"Jaqulin, I. Have. Had it," Aerith sighed, emphasizing her words. "Do you want to go to Juvenile Hall, is that it?"

Jaqulin turned away and started piling dirty dishes into a tray, not answering the question.

"Jaqulin? Jaqulin, look at me."

Jaqulin unwillingly turned around.

"It's hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you--"

"Mom, it's no big deal," Jaqulin interrupted. "There was nobody around. Those cops just won't get off my…"

Aerith frowned, folding her arms.

"Forget it," muttered Jaqulin, going back to stacking dishes.

"Mrs. Strife!" called Ursula. "My juice!"

"Yes, I'll be right there, Ursula!" Aerith responded. She looked back at Jaqulin. "Jaqulin, I just don't want to watch you throw away your entire future." She walked away.

Jaqulin picked up the tray of dishes and leaned against the kitchen door. "Yeah, what future?" she whispered before backing into the cooking area.


	3. Chapter 3: Beware the Half Demon

**Okay, here's chapter three! I'm gonna let you know something before we get too far...Jim Hawkins WILL be in this story, just not as the main character. Jaqulin, I figured, is a lot like Jim in some aspects so I thought it'd be cool to make them friends! **

**Again...I own no rights to the characters used in this story (except mine) or the story. Thanks!**

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**Chapter 3: Beware the Half Demon**

Jaqulin sat silently on the roof of the inn, listening to the conversation below. She absentmindedly threw pebbles down the roof as thunder rumbled around her. She concentrated on her mother's and Jack's voices.

"I really don't know how you do it, Aerith," Jack was saying. "Trying to run a business while raising a felon…uh, I mean…female…daughter...yes, daughter, like Jaqulin."

"Managing it?" Aerith repeated. "I'm at the end of my rope."

Jaqulin hung her head, ashamed of herself. How could she bring this stress upon her own mother…the only parent she ever knew in her life?

"Ever since her father left…well…Jaqulin's just never recovered." Aerith sighed sadly. "And you know how smart she is. She built her first solar surfer when she was eight!"

Jaqulin smiled to herself.

"And yet, she's failing at school…"

Jaqulin frowned again, wincing slightly at Aerith's words.

"…and she's constantly in trouble and when I talk to her, she's like a complete stranger to me. I don't know, Jack. I've tried everything…"

Jaqulin didn't really want to hear more. She turned away right as a tornado-looking object blew by and landed on the docks. Jaqulin slid down the roof and ran as fast as she could to the strange object. It continued to twirl when she reached it.

"Um…hello?" Jaqulin asked in uncertainty.

Suddenly, a strong arm reached out of the tornado and grabbed Jaqulin's shoulder, making her jump in shock. A man pulled himself free from the tornado and it disappeared. Jaqulin didn't know what to say or think.

The man certainly wasn't from around those parts; he was well-built, but he wore a brown furry outfit that reminded Jaqulin of a wolf. His hair was long and black, pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were a sharp blue and his ears were pointed, like an elf's. A wrapped, rounded object was clutched in his hand.

"Mister, are you alright?" Jaqulin questioned, staring at the man.

"He's after me," the man grunted. "But he won't be getting anything that belongs to me. That half-breed demon will have to pry it from old Koga's dead fingers before I give it up."

"Uh…you hit your head pretty hard there, huh?"

"What are you talking about? That half-breed is coming…" The man, or Koga, winced as he collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, my gosh," Jaqulin breathed. She hurried to Koga and grabbed his arm. "Here, let me help you…Koga, right?" Jaqulin slung one of his arms over her shoulder, helping him walk to the inn. "That's it."

"Thank you," Koga whispered. Jaqulin smirked to herself, the rain beginning to beat down on her back.

"Mom's gonna love this," she said quietly.

Aerith changed the scenery of the window so the rain outside couldn't be seen. Instead, a field of flowers appeared and brightened the room.

"Thanks for listening, Jack," Aerith said. She sat down at a table and rested her forehead on her hand, sighing. "It helps."

Jack rested a hand on Aerith's shoulder. "I don't know much about anything, Aerith, but I can tell you it'll be alright," he said. "You'll see."

"I keep dreaming that one day I'll open that door and there she'll be the way she was," Aerith whispered, opening a locket and revealing changing holographic movies of Jaqulin as a little girl. "A smiling, happy little girl, holding a new pet and begging me to keep it."

The door flew open as thunder roared and lightning flashed. Jaqulin's silhouette was seen against the blinding light. Aerith gasped, rising to her feet.

"Jaqulin Danee Strife!" she cried.

"Mom, he's hurt…bad," Jaqulin explained as she gently laid Koga on the floor of the inn. Koga panted heavily, his eyes barely opened. The object he had was next to him.

"My…" Koga started. Jaqulin saw what he wanted and scooped up the possession. She handed it to Koga, who held it firmly. "He mustn't find it…at any costs…if he does…he'll be unstoppable. He'll be coming soon."

"Who'll be coming?" asked Jaqulin. Koga grabbed her black vest collar and pulled her close.

"The half demon," Koga murmured weakly. "Beware the half demon."

Jaqulin's eyes widened at the news as Koga slowly fell away from her and never moved again. Aerith's hand flew to her mouth in shock. Suddenly, lights from a ship shined through the windows and there was shouting outside—very loud shouting. Jaqulin hurried to the window and when she flicked the lever slightly, the scenery split in two by an inch. Jaqulin glanced out cautiously. She saw shadows of many men right outside.

"Quick, we gotta go!" Jaqulin screamed, pushing Aerith toward the stairs. She spotted Koga's object on the floor and picked it up. Jack gasped when the blade of a _very _large sword burst through the door.

"I'm with Jaqulin on this one!" he shouted, sprinting up the stairs after Aerith. Once upstairs, the trio heard crashing and crunching downstairs. Flames suddenly began to engulf everything in sight. Jack glanced out the window where a brown horse with a white mane and tail stood hitched to a carriage.

"Epona! Thank goodness!" Jack exclaimed. Epona reared up, nickering as flames shattered the windows from the lower level. "Stay! Don't move!"

Downstairs the shadow of a man with dog ears on his head cast over the body of Koga. "Well…where is it?" he sneered. "Wherever it is, FIND IT!"

Meanwhile, Jack and Aerith were standing in the window, readying themselves to jump.

"Don't worry, Aerith!" Jack yelled over the roar of the fire around them. "I'm a genius of flight!"

Jaqulin shot him a nervous look when she saw shadows moving up the stairs.

"On the count of three. One…two…"

"Three!" Jaqulin shouted, pushing Jack and her mother out the window and into the carriage.

Jack gathered up the reins and snapped them. Epona whinnied, starting to gallop with all her might. "That's right, Epona, go!"

Aerith glanced behind them at her hotel. It was going up in deadly flames, everything she had ever worked for. She turned around and her head dropped into her hands. Jaqulin felt sympathy for her mother. Then, she remembered the round object from Koga. Jaqulin reached inside her khaki capri-looking pants and slid the sphere out. She carefully unwrapped it.

Jaqulin's eyes widened when she lifted a large pink sphere from the cloth. It glowed a radiant magenta and it seethed with immense power and strength in her hand.

_What does this mean?_

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	4. Chapter 4: The Adventure Begins

**I do not own any characters involved in this story, which is also not my idea. Jaqulin Strife belongs to me!

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Chapter 4: The Adventure Begins

The rain died down and the moon came out, giving little light. Jaqulin and Aerith stayed with Jack in his home—which was filled with ghost hunting contraptions and of other strange objects. But his library (not like he used his books, though) was warm and comforting beside the fireplace.

Aerith sat in Jack's red reading chair as the fire roared with life and warmth. Jaqulin placed a blanket carefully on her mother's shoulders without a word.

"I just spoke to the constabulary," Jack said, his voice echoing off the large walls of the library. "Those darn pirate-like guys left without a trace." He placed a blanket on Aerith's shoulder's and knelt down so he could look the woman in the face. "I'm sorry, Aerith. The old Kingdom Hearts Inn has burnt to the ground."

Aerith didn't answer. She only wrapped the blanket closer about her shoulders, her head lowering. Jaqulin wanted to say something, but decided against it and went to lean against a table away from Aerith and Jack. She took out the pink sphere to examine it.

Jack cleared his throat. "Well, uh, that was a lot of trouble caused by that little ball, huh?" he said. "Those markings on it are crazy!"

While Jack went on, Jaqulin was pressing the little circles present on the odd little ball. Something clicked and Jaqulin grinned. She started pressing more buttons and turned the ball many times before its sides shot out and a purple light soared from inside.

"Hey! I was gonna solve that!" Jack exclaimed.

Jaqulin's jaw dropped open as the lights created a dome-shaped grid over everyone's head. Little planets appeared around them.

"A map! It's almost like my Ghost Zone one! In fact, just like it!" Jack cried, grinning. "Oh, wait! Look at this. It's our planet Disney!"

"If it's planet Disney, what are you doing here?" Jaqulin asked, folding her arms.

"Questions later, Jaqulin." Jack reached with his finger and touched the bright planet. Suddenly, all the planets rushed at him, like they were leading somewhere. "Hey, that's my home planet! Planet Nickelodeon!"

Aerith stepped forward, amazed. A planet hit Jaqulin's stomach, broke apart, then formed itself again when it passed her.

"Planet Cartoon Network, Planet Fox, Planet…okay, I'm bored." Jack's head shot up. "Wait, what the heck is this one? Oh…it can't be…but it is! It's…it's…" A large green planet with a ring surrounding it hovered above them.

"Treasure Planet," Jaqulin breathed.

"No way!"

"That's Treasure Planet!"

"Grievous' little trove thing? The loot of a thousand worlds?" Jack asked himself. "Do you two even know what this means?"

"It means…all of Grievous' treasure is just a boat ride away," Jaqulin remarked, tossing the sphere into the air and catching it.

"Man, whoever brings back all that gold and shiny stuff would be on top of all other explorers in the world!" Jack exclaimed, excited. "He would be able to experience…" The map disappeared and the lights flashed on. "Whoo! What just happened?"

Jaqulin strode over to Aerith, sphere in hand. "Mom, this is it," she said. "This is the answer to all our problems."

"Jaqulin, there is no way…" Aerith began.

"Don't you remember? All those stories?"

"That's all they were: stories!" Aerith cried.

"Think about it, Mom!" Jaqulin pleaded. "With that treasure, we could rebuild the KH a hundred times over!"

"Well, this is…it's just…oh, my…Jack, would you please explain how ridiculous this is?" Aerith said, turning to Jack.

"It's absolutely nuts!" Jack exclaimed. "Going around the galaxy by yourself…it's…well, it's dumb."

Aerith smiled triumphantly at Jaqulin. "Now we hear some sense!" she said. Jaqulin frowned at her mother.

"Which is precisely why I'm going with you."

Aerith whirled around. "Jack!"

Jaqulin looked up with a surprised grin as Jack scurried around packing up his things. "I'll use my savings to pay for the expedition," Jack said to himself. "I'll commission a ship, hire a captain and crew…"

"You're not serious," Aerith remarked, watching her friend

Jack climbed up a pile of unread books to fetch his toothbrush, grabbing it and stuffing it into his suitcase. "All my life I've been waiting for something like this to happen and here it is screaming, 'Go, Jack! Go, Jack! Go!'"

"Okay, okay, you're _both_ grounded!" Aerith screamed, ending Jack's excitement. She sighed and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Mom…look," Jaqulin reasoned, approaching her mother. "I know that I keep messing everything up. And I know…"—Jaqulin sighed—"that I let you down."

Aerith relaxed a little when she heard her daughter's words and she gazed at Jaqulin.

"But this is my chance to make it up to you." Jaqulin looked pleadingly into Aerith's blue eyes. "I'm gonna set things right."

"Aerith?" Jack whispered, pulling Aerith aside. "I have somethin' to say. You told me today you've tried everything. There's much worse things that can done than a few character-building months in space." Jack waited for Aerith's answer. Aerith glanced over her shoulder at her beautiful daughter, then back at Jack.

"Are you saying this because it's the right thing, or you really want to go?" Aerith asked, giving Jack a knowing look after the last question.

Jack clasped his hands together in a begging way. "I really, really, really, really, really, REALLY wanna go," he whined. "AND it's the right thing."

Aerith turned completely to face Jaqulin, her face sorrowful. "Jaqulin…I don't want to lose you," she murmured, brushing her hand along Jaqulin's soft cheek. Jaqulin grabbed her mother's hand gently.

"Mom…you won't," Jaqulin responded confidently with a smile. "I'm going to make you proud."

Aerith returned the smile, but it wasn't given whole-heartedly.

"Okay then," Jack said. "There you have it. We'll make preparations right away! Jaqulin, my girl, pretty soon we'll be off to the spaceport!" He pointed to the crescent moon in the sky, which was actually the spaceport.

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Jack and Jaqulin walked through the crowded streets of foreign aliens selling their goods and calling prices out. Jaqulin was in her usual green belly tank-top, khaki capris, green and black shoes, and black vest with a knapsack slung over her shoulder. Jack, on the other hand, had worn his white and green ghost-fighting suit called the Fenton Peeler. Jaqulin said nothing about it even though she really wanted to.

"Well, Jaq, this should be a good opportunity to get to know each other, eh?" Jack said, hugging Jaqulin from the side and squeezing her a couple times with his massive arm. "You know what they say! You can't trust what you can't see! Oh, wait…that's for ghosts. But I'm sure…"

"Jack, let's just find the ship, okay?" Jaqulin suggested, trying hard not to laugh. She continued walking toward the docks. She approached a mouse and duck cleaning a window to ask for directions.

"Second berth on your right!" the duck quacked.

"You can't miss it!" the mouse added.

"Great. Thanks, Donald! Thanks, Mickey!" Jaqulin said with a wave. Jack finally caught up with her, clanking all the way.

"It's the suit, isn't it?" Jack asked. "I didn't know what else to bring and I didn't know if there was gonna be a ghost attack at some point and…" Jack bumped into Jaqulin, who had stopped. The teen gave him a tired look. "Oh, Jaqulin! I think this is our ship! The R.L.S Mickey!" Jack kept on walking while Jaqulin stared at the enormous ship.

"Whoa," she said to herself before following Jack.


	5. Chapter 5: Take Off

**DEFINITELY do not own Maddie, Bowser, Jim OR Inuyasha or any other character you just know is not mine! Disney created this awesome movie, not I!! **

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**Chapter 5: Take Off**

Jack and Jaqulin stepped up the ramp onto the ship where the crew was bustling with life and motion. Jaqulin was completely fascinated. A dinosaur-looking guy with a green turtle shell that had spikes jutting out of it was barking orders.

"Stow those casks forward!" he yelled. "Heave together!"

"How cool is this?" Jaqulin whispered, turning around and walking backwards. She bumped into something soft, making her whip around immediately. It was a black wolf with green eyes in a green outfit. "Sorry bout that, I didn't mean…"

The wolf opened its big mouth and roared angrily in Jaqulin's face. When it stopped, Jaqulin's long blonde hair was in disarray. She blew a strand out of her face. The wolf began talking in a strange language, but even so, Jaqulin could tell that he was upset.

"It's alright, Jaqulin," Jack stated. "I'm fluent in 'weird.'" The large man started speaking in absolute gibberish that made no sense to Jaqulin. When Jack finished, the wolf started laughing. "Took two years of it in high school," he added. He grunted something else to the wolf that Jaqulin guessed to be a "thank you."

"Weird? Cool," Jaqulin remarked, fixing her hair. She followed Jack as he started towards the turtle man. But a certain figure caught her eye as she passed. Jaqulin couldn't help but look.

It was a handsome young boy, probably about her age, helping the crew lower some crates. He had slightly sun-touched skin and short dark brown hair, his bangs longer, and he had a tiny ponytail. He was dressed in brown clothes, only his pants were a forest green. His blue eyes shimmered in the sunlight when he looked up.

Jaqulin narrowed her eyes; somehow she got this feeling that guy would be trouble on this trip. She returned her attention to Jack.

"Morning, Captain!" Jack greeted the giant turtle. "Everything ship-shape?"

"Ship-shape it is!" the turtle responded. "But you've got the wrong person. The captain is right up there!"

Jaqulin and Jack glanced up simultaneously and discovered a young woman with a red hair dressed in a blue jumpsuit swinging from the ropes. She performed an aerial flip and landed perfectly in front of them. The helmet of Jack's suit slammed shut and Jaqulin sent him a weird look.

"Bowser, I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and as usual, it's…absolutely perfect," the woman said. "Can you get nothing wrong?"

"You're too kind, Captain," the turtle, or rather Bowser, replied.

The captain grinned and turned only to be face-to-face with Jack. She raised an eyebrow and examined him carefully. "Hmm…Mr. Fenton, I presume?"

"Uh…uh…why, yes! I'm…"Jack stuttered.

"Hello! Can you hear me?" The captain tapped on Jack's glass helmet loudly.

"Yes! Stop that loud banging, it's killing my ears!"

"If I may, Mr. Fenton, this works so much better if it's opened up and operated correctly!" The captain twirled Jack around, flipped open the hatch in the back, and pressed a button, sending an electric current through Jack. "Lovely, there you go."

Jack turned around. "Hey, I can do that myself!" he shouted.

The captain gave him a skeptical look, then shook his hand. "I'm Captain Maddie, late of a few run-ins with Ghost Zonian ghosts. Nasty business, but I won't bore you with my scars." Maddie gestured to Bowser. "You've met my first officer, Bowser. Sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave, and true."

Bowser blushed vibrantly. "Please, Captain," he muttered.

"Oh, shut up, Bowser, you know I don't mean a word of it."

Jack cleared his throat audibly. "Now that your chatter is over, I'd like to introduce Jaqulin Strife. Jaq here is the girl who found the treas…"

Maddie reached out and slapped her hand over Jack's mouth. "Mr. Fenton, please!" she hissed. She glanced around at the staring crew before looking slyly at Jack. "I'll have a word with you in my stateroom."

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Maddie shut the door behind them, then looked at Jack. "Mr. Fenton," she began, walking up to Jack and Jaqulin. "To muse and blabber about a treasure map in front of this particular crew, demonstrates a level of ineptitude...that borders on the imbecilic. And I mean that in a very caring way."

Jack leaned towards Jaqulin. "Um…what does imbecilic mean?" he whispered. Jaqulin rolled her eyes.

"She's saying you're stupid," she grumbled.

"Oh…what? Nonsense! I'm beyond, uh…that word you said!"

"May I see the map, please?" Maddie asked Jaqulin.

Jack sighed, still uptight, then glanced at Jaqulin, who shrugged nonchalantly. Jack motioned to the captain. Jaqulin exhaled reprovingly.

"Here," she muttered, chucking the map to Maddie. The captain caught it easily and studied it.

"Hmm. Interesting," Maddie mused. She gave Jaqulin a look before taking the map with her to her cabinet. "Miss Strife, in the future, you are to address me as 'Captain' or 'ma'am.' Is that clear?"

Jaqulin shoulders fell as she rolled her eyes. She despised being told what to do…why was everyone always on her back?

"Miss Strife?" Maddie asked, glancing over her shoulder after having put the map away.

Jaqulin frowned. "Yes, ma'am," she said in the most serious voice she could muster.

"That'll do." Maddie locked the cabinet securely and faced the others. "Gentleman—and lady—this must be kept under lock and key at all times when not in use. And, Mr. Fenton…"—Maddie walked up to Jack with a smug grin—"again, with the greatest possible respect…_SHUT _your yowling yapper!"

Jack opened his mouth to object, raising his arm, but it dropped a second later. "Uh, I got nothin'," he stated.

"Let me try to make this as short-lipped as possible," Maddie said as she sat herself at her desk. "I don't really much care about this crew _you_ hired. They're…how'd I describe them, Bowser? I said something really good this morning over coffee."

"'A ludicrous pack of babbling idiots,' ma'am," Bowser answered respectfully.

Maddie grinned at her own words. "There you go—poetry," she remarked to Jack.

"That's not poetry! I'll give you poet…" Jack started.

"Mr. Fenton, I'd _love _to chat," Maddie interrupted. "Tea, cakes, the whole tea party, but I have a ship to launch and you have your suit to buff up." Maddie tapped Jack's nose teasingly. She straightened up. "Bowser, if you would escort these neophytes to the galley right away. Miss Strife will be working for our cook, Inuyasha."

Jaqulin stopped toying with one of Maddie's contraptions to look up in surprise.

"Wait, what? The _cook?" _


	6. Chapter 6: Getting Acquianted

**I only claim ownership of Jaqulin Strife...

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Chapter 6: Getting Acquainted 

"That woman, that…_female!_" Jack was yelling on the way down to the galley. "Who does she think she is, bossing me around like that? Who the heck is in charge of who…or whom?"

"I know!" Jaqulin agreed, scowling. "It's my map and she's got me bussin' tables?"

A clawed hand grabbed Jack's and Jaqulin's shoulder and yanked. It was Bowser, who had heard their entire conversation. "I won't tolerate that kind of jib-jab from two dead-enders like you," Bowser snarled. "Our captain is the finest spacer the galaxy has ever seen."

Jaqulin pouted, but the pout faded when she glanced up. She heard humming and a shadow could be seen. Jaqulin narrowed her eyes, thinking she recognized the shadow somehow.

"Inuyasha?" Bowser called.

The man looked up and wiped his hands on a towel. "Hey, Bowser," he answered in a gruff voice that was conversational. "Bringin' in some suckers to my galley, eh? Had I known, I'd of sharpened my claws!" Inuyasha chuckled to himself.

Jaqulin gasped silently to herself. She remembered the warning Koga had given her. "A half-demon," she breathed.

"That's what I am, kid," Inuyasha said. Jaqulin jumped, startled that he had heard what she said.

_It's those ears_, Jaqulin thought. _He can practically hear anything. I'd better shut my mouth or this could get nasty._ Jaqulin glared venomously at Inuyasha.

"Let me introduce Mr. Fenton," Bowser said, extending a hand towards Jack, who didn't move. He was staring in fright at Inuyasha.

"Nice suit, Fenton," Inuyasha said casually, revealing his fangs as he smiled teasingly.

"Uh…uh…thank you! Uh…nice kimono!" Jack stuttered. He reached back and pulled Jaqulin up beside him. "This young girl is Jaqulin."

"Jaq," Inuyasha said, reaching out to shake Jaqulin's hand. Jaqulin only stared at his clawed hand with disapproval. She HATED those who called her Jaq right off the bat. Inuyasha grinned. "Aw, come on. I can't help having claws. They actually come in handy sometimes."

Bowser, Jaqulin, and Jack watched as Inuyasha peeled a fruit with his claws and threw it into a nearby pot. Taking two bowls, Inuyasha spooned some of his concoction inside and handed them to Jaqulin and Jack. It was brown and chunky—in other words, hardly appetizing to the eyes.

"My favorite dish," Inuyasha said. "Hope ya like it."

Jack sniffed it first, then licked at it like a dog. "Mmm…tangy, yet delicious!" he exclaimed, bending down for more.

"Eh, just a little somethin' I made." Inuyasha noticed how Jaq didn't bother to touch it. "Come on, Jaq, just eat it. Not like its poison or nothin'."

Jaqulin raised an eyebrow as she picked up a spoonful and studied it. Suddenly, a face appeared on the bowl of the spoon. Jaqulin gasped quietly. The spoon transformed into a little boy with brown hair and a bushy tail wearing a blue kimono and a furry vest.

"Ha ha!" the boy laughed.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha snarled. "What the heck are ya doin'?"

"Eating your special dish!" the boy, or Shippo, responded. Inuyasha snatched Shippo by the tail and yanked him off Jaqulin, dropping him on the ground.

"What IS that thing?" Jaqulin asked.

Shippo grinned, then morphed into a perfect copy of Jaqulin herself—besides the bushy tail on his behind. Jaqulin reached out and touched Shippo's nose.

"Eh, that's just Shippo," Inuyasha replied. "He's a fox demon…the most annoying kind."

Shippo changed back into himself, landing on Jaqulin's shoulder. He sat there for awhile before leaping onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

"I kinda saved him from getting into trouble with the Thunder Brothers and he decided to stick with me," Inuyasha added, eying Shippo. "Been with me ever since."

"We're gettin' ready to leave," Bowser finally interrupted. "Would you like observe the launch, Mr. Fenton?"

"Does a ghost live in the Ghost Zone?" Jack asked sarcastically.

Bowser merely stared at him.

"Um…I'll follow you." Jack started up the stairs while Bowser turned back to Inuyasha.

"Miss Strife is to stay here in your charge, Inuyasha," Bowser said.

Inuyasha choked on his own breath. "Wait, what? She's in my…? But wait…" he stammered.

"Captain's orders! Be sure that the new cabin girl is kept busy." Bowser turned away. Jaqulin and Inuyasha started complaining over each other.

"Wait, I don't wanna be with him!" Jaqulin cried.

"Don't leave me with her!" Inuyasha whined.

"Wait, wait, ah, no…." they both said. Simultaneously, Inuyasha and Jaqulin sighed, rubbing their eyes in frustration. They pulled their fingers away and looked at each other. By this time, Shippo had hopped off Inuyasha's shoulder and scampered away.

"So…captain's put you with me, huh?" Inuyasha asked, circling Jaqulin like a stalking lion.

"Whatever," Jaqulin responded casually.

Inuyasha gave her a look, but disregarded it. "Psh. Better not fight with the captain," he said. "Though it's in my demon nature to do that." He turned to cut up more ingredients.

"Yeah," Jaqulin said slowly, immediately suspicious. She noticed the fruit in a nearby barrel and she picked one up. It was yellow and star-shaped, a fruit she could recognize a mile away. "You know…these star fruits are just like the ones back home…on Planet Disney. You ever been there?" Jaqulin hopped up on the counter.

"Uh…can't say I have, Jaq," Inuyasha replied, continuing to avoid eye contact.

Jaqulin bit into the fruit, its sweet taste entering her mouth. "Come to think of it, just before I left…I met this, uh, old guy. He was looking for a half-demon buddy of his."

"Really…"

Jaqulin stared at Inuyasha, who still refused to look at her. "Yeah," she stated flatly. She closed her eyes, pretending to think. "Now, what was that old dog's name…? Oh yeah…Koga. You know a Koga?"

Inuyasha's dog ears flickered a bit before he thought about it as Jaqulin approached him. "Koga…Koga," he whispered. He shrugged. "You got the wrong demon, kid. There's a bunch of half-demons roamin' these parts. I ain't the only one."

A whistle sounded from above.

"Prepare to lift off!" came Bowser's demanding voice. Inuyasha glanced up and grinned.

"Eh, go on, kid," Inuyasha said, shoving Jaqulin forward. "Watch the launch and enjoy your freedom while you still got it."

Jaqulin glared at him while walking backwards towards the exit, then finally turned around and hurried up. When she was gone, Inuyasha glanced up. Shippo pounced on his shoulder.

"Can I have a cracker, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha frowned and handed a cracker to the fox demon, who began nibbling on it.

"We've better keep an eye out for that girl, Shippo," Inuyasha growled. His golden eyes glimmered. "I have this feeling that she's going to be a problem in our plans. We can't let her stick her nose into things she shouldn't."


	7. Chapter 7: A Close Call

**You know what I own and don't own by this point. Is this story too weird? Seriously, just let me know, cuz I'm not even positive myself...

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Chapter 7: A Close Call

"We're all clear, Captain!" one of the crew members called from the crow's nest above. Bowser and Maddie glanced up, then looked at each other.

"Well, my friend," Maddie said. "Are we ready to raise this creaking pile of wood?"

"My pleasure, Captain," Bowser answered with a grin. He turned to the crew. "All hands to stations!"

Jaqulin reached the deck right as the activity started up and the crew started running around doing their jobs. She noticed the boy from earlier pulling on some ropes along with another member of the crew. Jaqulin frowned, returning her attention to the bustling crew.

"Careful now!" Bowser yelled.

Some crew members raced up the rope ladders to the sails, laughing and pushing each other playfully.

"Loose all solar sails! Come on!"

Jaqulin felt herself suddenly rising into the air, attempting to keep her green sleeveless shirt and sleeveless black vest down. Her blonde hair flew upwards in long golden strands. Up above her, Jack was rising as well along with the captain, who only patiently waited.

"Mr. Wulf! Engage artificial gravity!" Bowser demanded.

The black wolf from earlier—apparently called Wulf—growled in response, whipped around and pulled on a nearby lever. A purple wave of electricity raced through the ship.

Jaqulin landed perfectly on her feet, crouching slightly and regaining her balance with her hand planted on the deck. Jack plummeted from the sky and landed on his head clumsily.

Maddie gave him a strange look before shouting, "South by southwest, Dr. Eggman, heading two-one-zero-zero!"

"Aye, Captain!" a long-legged, egg-shaped man responded. He started turning the wheel of the ship. "Two-one-zero-zero!"

"Full speed, Bowser, if you please," Maddie said to her scaly companion.

Bowser grabbed a nearby pipe that lead below deck, where a green-haired boy in a pirate outfit named Youngblood waited. "Take her away!" Bowser commanded.

Youngblood laughed manically as he pulled the boost lever down. A revving sound could be heard from within the ship.

"Brace yourself, Fenton," Maddie warned coolly as Jack rose to his feet. Jack gave her a blank stare.

"What does that…?" Jack started to ask.

Just then, the ship lurched forward. Jack was catapulted backwards while Maddie calmly stood in place. The big man crashed into the wall behind him, denting parts of his suit.

Jaqulin climbed out onto the shrouds of the ship and held herself with one hand on the outside. There was sweet, low songs as orca whales and dolphins swam through space beside R.L.S. Mickey.

"Whoa," Jaqulin breathed. A dolphin flipped over to her and looked her in the eye before following its friends. Jaqulin smiled.

"Wow!" Jack cried, taking out his camera. "Whales and dolphins! This will look good in my scrapbook!" A whale's blow hole was right below him. "Smile!"

"Uh, Fenton, I'd stand clear…" Maddie tried to say. But right then, the whale shot water from its hole, soaking Jack along with assortments of seashells and seaweed. Jack snapped the picture. Maddie chuckled slightly, but she stopped when she sensed a presence.

"Yep, a great day for sailin', right, Captain?" asked Inuyasha as he stretched his arms high above his head. Shippo was present on his shoulder, grinning childishly. Inuyasha looked at Maddie. "Did ya do somethin' to your hair? It looks better than it used to…"

Maddie rolled her eyes. She knew that wasn't a compliment, especially coming from a dog demon. "You can keep that kind of demon talk for yourself, Inuyasha," she responded curtly.

Shippo morphed into a replica of Maddie behind Inuyasha. "Keep your demon talk to yourself, Inuyasha," he mimicked in a mocking way.

Inuyasha reached behind him and yanked on Shippo's tail, making the fox demon poof back into his normal child self.

"Eh, you're judgin' too quick, Cap'n," Inuyasha said as he shrugged. "I only tell ya how it is."

"How it is," Shippo scoffed. This time, Inuyasha brought his fist back and whacked Shippo in the head. Shippo whimpered and rubbed his head while glaring at Inuyasha.

"Oh, by the way, Inuyasha," Maddie remarked. "Isn't that _your_ cabin girl aimlessly playing around in those shrouds?"

Inuyasha glanced over and saw Jaqulin climbing around on the rope ladders on the side of the ship. He turned back to Maddie.

"Yep, it…oh," Inuyasha stammered. He grinned nervously at the captain. "Uh, yeah…just, uh, momentary thing." Inuyasha returned his attention to the blonde girl. "Hey, Jaq!"

Jaqulin swung herself around to the other side of the shroud and looked at Inuyasha.

"I got two new friends I'd like ya to meet."

Jaqulin leaned forward anxiously; if Shippo was a cool friend, Inuyasha's other friends had to be worth seeing.

Inuyasha smirked. "Say hello to Mr. Mop…"—Inuyasha threw a mop at Jaqulin, who caught it—"…and Mrs. Bucket." The demon chucked an empty wooden bucket to Jaqulin. The girl leaned exasperatedly against the ropes as Inuyasha laughed, walking away.

"Yippie," Jaqulin moaned.

Later, the teenaged girl was mopping the deck of the massive ship. She was rather angry at Inuyasha.

"Yeah, I got your Mr. _Mop_," she sneered, glaring at the slow back and forth motions of her mop.

At that moment, someone shoved Jaqulin aside to the ledge. It was a large brown creature in a purple cape that had what looked like horns on its head. It whirled around, baring its fangs.

"Watch it, girl," the creature said in a deep, growling tone. He stalked away on clawed feet.

Jaqulin sighed, running her fingers through her thick hair and starting her job up again. It was then that she noticed a small group of crew members standing opposite of her. The group consisted of Youngblood, the member from the crow's nest, and another member Jaqulin hadn't seen yet.

The trio was whispering amongst themselves. Jaqulin immediately became suspicious and she absent-mindedly continued to move the mop, trying to eavesdrop. But one of the three crew members saw her and broke up the meeting. Jaqulin narrowed her eyes.

"What are you lookin' at, weirdo?" Youngblood teased. A skeletal bird flew out of nowhere and landed on the little boy's shoulder.

"Yeah! Weirdo!" the bird squawked.

Jaqulin raised an eyebrow at the odd pair. She heard thumping up above and she craned her neck to look. A broad-shouldered, gray-skinned man with fierce yellow eyes was rapelling down the mass toward her. When he landed in front her, Jaqulin got a better look.

He wore ragged gray and black clothes with black boots. He was bald on the top of his head with black hair hanging in the back and he was a little taller than Jaqulin. But Jaqulin instantly noticed the sharp nails on his fingers and the fangs in his mouth—if she didn't know any better, she would have figured the man to be Inuyasha's half brother or something of the sort.

"Cabin girls should learn to mind their own business," the man snarled.

Jaqulin grinned, adjusting the mop. "Why?" she asked. "Got something to hide, Baldy?"

The man grimaced angrily and he snatched Jaqulin up by her shirt, bringing her to his level and right to his face so their noses were inches apart. "Maybe your ears don't work so well."

Jaqulin grunted, turning her face away from the stranger's. "Yeah," she coughed. "Too bad my nose works just fine."

"Why, you pestering little…" The man grabbed Jaqulin's throat, lifting her up and pushing her against the mass. Crew members appeared out of nowhere and started cheering the man on.

"Go ahead!" screamed a red-head girl named Vicky. "Slice her! Dice her!"

"Hey! Shan Yu, leave her alone!" the teenaged boy called, pushing through the other members to reach the man, called Shan Yu.

But Shan Yu wasn't keen on listening to what anyone had to say. He withdrew a jagged-bladed sword and brought it dangerously close to Jaqulin's face.

"Any last words…cabin girl?" Shan Yu hissed. Jaqulin's eyes widened as Shan Yu brought his sword back. Yet just before Shan Yu could strike, something snagged his arm and stopped him from ending the girl's life. Shan Yu whipped around and discovered Inuyasha grasping his arm casually. In the other hand, the demon held a yellow star fruit.

"Shan Yu…" Inuyasha began. Shan Yu shook his head in irritation. "You ever see what happens to a fresh star fruit…when you squeeze real HARD?!" Inuyasha dug his claws into Shan Yu's arm and the man cried out in pain. He dropped Jaqulin, who hit the deck and rubbed her neck, trying to get her breath back.

The crew members started shouting angrily at Inuyasha even though it was pointless. The boy from earlier went to Jaqulin's side and helped her to her feet.

"You alright?" he asked kindly.

"I'm fine," Jaqulin replied crossly.

"I'm Jim. And you must be the new cabin girl, right?"

Jaqulin gave him a look. "That's me." She pulled away from him to stand beside Inuyasha.

"What's all this?!"

Everyone glanced up and saw Bowser stomping down the stairs. Some crew members stepped aside and allowed the large Koopa to walk right up to Shan Yu.

"You know the rules," Bowser announced. "There will be no brawling on this ship. Only I'm allowed to do that. So any further offenders…"—he glared at Shan Yu—"will be sent to the brig for the remainder of this trip." Bowser got in Shan Yu's face. "Am I clear, Shan Yu?"

Shan Yu was about to say something, but he side-glanced at Inuyasha. The demon's fiery eyes shined at him venomously, warning him. Shan Yu sighed heavily, then faced Bowser.

"Transparently," he growled.

Bowser turned and left, the crowd dispersing. Shan Yu narrowed his eyes at the giant turtle behind his back before storming away.

"Good one, Bowser!" Inuyasha yelled after Bowser. "Maybe next time you should fire someone!"

"Ha, ha, Inuyasha!" Bowser replied sarcastically, not even turning around.

Jim grinned quickly at Jaqulin. "See you around, huh?" he said. Without waiting for an answer, Jim was gone.

Inuyasha rubbed his eyes irritably, then glared down at Jaqulin. "Jaq, I gave you a job," he said.

"Hey, I was doing it until that big guy--" Jaqulin started to argue.

"Forget all that, kid! Now I want this hunk of wood cleaned and cleaned good. If it's not done by the time I get back…" Inuyasha looked around. "SHIPPO!"

"I'm right here, I-Inuyasha!" Shippo's voice whimpered. Inuyasha and Jaqulin looked up and found the fox demon clinging with a death grip on the mass.

"Well, get down _here_," Inuyasha responded impatiently. Shippo leaped down and landed perfectly on the demon's shoulder. "Keep an eye on this kid. Let me know if there's any more distractions."

"Got it, Inuyasha!" Shippo exclaimed, saluting and jumping from Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha shot Jaqulin a quick look before striding away.

Jaqulin picked up the mop and leaned on it hopelessly.

"Hey, you're supposed to be working!" Shippo cried, clambering up Jaqulin's arm and jumping up onto her head. Jaqulin rolled her eyes with a deep exhale and began her mopping once again.

_Was this really all worth it? Should I have ever left home?_


	8. Chapter 8: I'm Still Here

**Geez! I finally got all the chapters up, revised and revised again, and now I'm done until the next chapter, which should be up pretty quick here...depending on my mood. But it's already half written so it won't take long to finish up. Well...I hope you like what I've done so far!

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Chapter 8: I'm Still Here

Inuyasha stepped down the stairs to the galley, where all the crew members were chatting and murmuring amongst each other.

"So…we're all here, then," Inuyasha said casually, standing in front of the crew.

"Excuse me," the crow's nest member squeaked, running past Inuyasha to sit someplace else.

"Fine." Inuyasha smirked, returning to his pep talk. "Now, if you don't mind my getting to the point, guys…"—the demon brought out a clawed hand—"…are you all…COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF HOW UTTERLY _STUPID _YOU ALL ARE?!"

Inuyasha swiped his claw towards a crew member, narrowly missing his head. The little guy yelped and ducked his head, trembling violently.

"After all the trouble I went through to get us all hired as a high-rankin' crew…you wanna blow everything we've worked for before we can get anywhere?!" Inuyasha snapped. He got in Shan Yu's face, baring his fangs.

"The girl was sniffing about," Shan Yu snarled.

Inuyasha growled in his throat. "You just stick to the plan, you pathetic human." He grinned thoughtfully. "As for the girl…I'll run her so ragged, she won't have time to think."

* * *

Shippo laughed as he mopped along side Jaqulin. He had transformed himself into a mop and was helping the girl clean the deck. When Jaqulin stopped, Shippo changed back to a fox child. He hiccupped, releasing a few soap bubbles. Jaqulin grinned, leaning on her mop.

"Well, this has been a fun day, huh?" Jaqulin asked sarcastically, examining her and Shippo's cleaning job. "Making new friends…like that balding freak."

Shippo poofed into a spitting image of Shan Yu. "I'm a balding freak, I'm a balding freak!" he cried, raising his hands in the air.

"Heh. A little uglier."

"MWAHAHA!" Shippo yelled as he made an ugly face.

Jaqulin nodded in approval. "Pretty close," she said.

"Well, look at this," Inuyasha remarked. Jaqulin and Shippo whipped around and saw the half demon climbing the stairs with a huge cooking bowl in his hands. "Up here for an hour and the ship's still in one piece." He dumped the contents over the side of the ship.

"Aww, I wanted that!" Shippo wailed while watching the spoils falling out into space.

"Um, Inuyasha?" Jaqulin started. Inuyasha set the bowl down and looked at her.

"Yeah, kid?" Inuyasha replied.

"I, uh…what you did…thanks." Jaqulin smiled softly.

Inuyasha's ears flattened slightly, looking directly into Jaqulin's eyes. "Didn't your old man teach ya to pick your fights better than that?"

Jaqulin's smile faded immediately and she slowly went back to her cleaning job. Inuyasha studied her.

"Not the teachin' type?"

Jaqulin glanced up, not looking at Inuyasha. "No," she answered. "He was more the taking-off-and-never-coming-back type." She sighed heavily as she leaned on the ship, gazing at the stars.

"Oh." Inuyasha stood beside Jaqulin. "I didn't have a dad either while growin' up, kid. You just gotta get used to it. I turned out all right in the end."

Jaqulin scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. You're the kid every parent wishes they had." She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Jaq."

"Hey, no big deal," Jaqulin responded with a simple shrug. "I'm doing just fine."

Inuyasha smiled to himself at this remark. _This kid's got guts_, he thought. _I like that._ He glanced over at Jaqulin.

"Is that so?" Inuyasha said thoughtfully, scratching his ear. "Well, since the good ol' captain's put you in my charge…like it or not, Jaq, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick skull of yours. You know, just to keep you out of trouble and all."

Jaqulin's jaw dropped and pushed away from her leaning position to confront Inuyasha. "What?" she questioned.

"From now on, kid, I'm not lettin' you out of my sight."

"You can't do...!"

"You won't eat, sleep, or even scratch your back without my permission, got that?"

"Don't do me any favors!" Jaqulin spat.

"Oh, you can be sure of that, Jaq," Inuyasha replied. "You can be sure of that." He laughed.

Jaqulin hung on a swinging platform beside the underside of the ship, scraping barnacles that had attached themselves. Inuyasha sat beside her.

"Put some elbow into it!" he shouted.

**I am a question to the world **

**Not an answer to be heard**

**Or a moment **

**That's held in your arms**

_Jaqulin and Aerith watch husband and father leave the house once more. Aerith holds Jaqulin close._

Inuyasha showed Jaqulin how to make a noose from the rope, but Jaqulin didn't really pay attention to him. Inuyasha looked up and found Jaqulin gone. He looked down below and saw the girl walking away with her hands in her pockets. Inuyasha discovered a perfect replica of his own noose and he grinned.

**And what do you think you'd ever say?**

**I won't listen anyway**

**You don't know me**

**And I'll never be what you want**

**Me to be**

Jaqulin scrubbed the deck with only a small brush and a bucket of soapy water.

**And what do you think you'd understand?**

**I'm a girl, no, I'm a woman**

Inuyasha stepped over to inspect Jaqulin's work. The girl stood to her full height and looked Inuyasha in the eye. Inuyasha took another bucket of water and threw it onto the deck, telling Jaqulin to finish. Jaqulin started scrubbing again.

**You can take me and throw me away**

**And how can you learn what's never shown**

**Yeah, you stand there on your own**

_Jaqulin and her father laugh as they run through a field of yellow flowers. Her father snatches her up and sweeps her off her feet, holding the little girl high in the air. Jaqulin squeals with excitement._

**They don't know me**

'**Cause I'm not here**

**And I want a moment to be real**

**Want to touch things I don't feel**

**Want to hold on and feel I belong**

**And how can the world want me to change?**

**They're the ones that stay the same**

**They don't know me**

'**Cause I'm not here**

_Jaqulin watches other girls put on makeup and pretty clothes, doing their hair as they chatter excitedly to each other. Jaqulin shakes her head and walks away. A single tear falls from her eye._

**And you see the things they never see**

**All you wanted—I could be**

**Now you know me**

**And I'm not afraid**

Inuyasha and Jaqulin sparred with each other on the ship. Jaqulin performed a back-flip and kicked Inuyasha to the ground. The half demon jumped to his feet, taking the girl's arm and knocking her down.

**And I want to tell you who I am**

**Can you help me be a woman?**

**They can't break me**

**As long as I know who I am**

**And I want a moment to be real**

**Want to touch things I don't feel**

**Want to hold on and feel I belong**

**And how can the world want me to change?**

**They're the ones that stay the same**

**They don't know me**

**But I'm still here**

Inuyasha and Jaqulin lowered a smaller ship into space. Inuyasha hopped on, saluted Jaqulin, then soared away. The smile on Jaqulin's face faded as she watched him leave.

**They can't tell me who to be**

'**Cause I'm not what they see**

**And the world is sleepin'**

**While I keep on dreamin' for me**

_Jaqulin is sleeping in her bed until she realizes that her father was supposed to be leaving. She looks frantically out her window and sees him walking towards the boat in the dock. The young teen sprints down the stairs, finding her mother sobbing at the table. Jaqulin makes a mad dash for her father just as he steps onto the boat, which takes off right as she reaches it._

**And their words are just whispers**

**And lies that I'll never believe**

Inuyasha flew underneath the ship where the docking bay was located and found Jaqulin still standing there. He beckoned to her with a smile. Jaqulin grinned happily and leaped into the ship. Inuyasha explained how to use the ship, the steering and the acceleration. Jaqulin didn't let him finish; she put the ship in high speed and jerked the steering stick forward, shooting herself and Inuyasha into the stars.

**And I want a moment to be real**

**Want to touch things I don't feel**

**Want to hold on and feel I belong**

**And how can the world want me to change?**

**They're the ones that stay the same**

**They don't know me**

'**Cause I'm still here**

Jaqulin steered the smaller boat into a comet, following its course through emptiness. She made it barrel roll as she and Inuyasha clung to the sides.

**I'm the one**

'**Cause I'm still here**

Jaqulin smoothly soared out of the comet and glanced back at Inuyasha, who was shaking like a dog to rid himself of the comet dust covering him. Jaqulin laughed.

**I'm still here…**

Inuyasha lifted his head when he heard Jaqulin laughing. He smirked and eventually broke into a laugh himself. He brushed off the dust in Jaqulin's hair while the girl redirected their boat to the main ship.

**I'm still here…**


End file.
